How Tushy Saved My Tush

Before I start this review – I never thought I’d appreciate a product so much.

A little background on me – I was diagnosed with UC at 14 and had back-to-back surgeries until I was 22. After years of complications involving recurrent fistulas, I was re-diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and put on a biologic, which drastically changed my life for the better. Fast-forward five years on Humira, and I'm living my best life, when a new fistula popped open. This meant the end of those blissful years in remission. Fistulas are unfortunately very common in those with Crohn’s disease and even more-so with a J-pouch and weakened tissue. Mine is RV (recto-vaginal), meaning that I have an abnormal connection between my bowel and lady parts. If you are living with a fistula, you know how hard it is to stay and feel clean.

Enter TUSHY. I had heard of bidet systems in the past, but they always seemed bulky or daunting to install, so I never went forward with purchasing one. Tushy touts itself as a simple way to "upgrade your bathroom experience." Given the amount of time that we IBDers spend on the toilet, I'm all about making the experience as luxurious as possible. You can receive a Tushy Classic (cool water) or a Tushy Spa (cool and warm water) for under $100 and it is WELL worth the price, let me tell you. The Tushy Classic retails for $69 and the Tushy Spa retails for $89.

I wasn't sure how installation was going to go, but their site said "Even assholes like us can do it, so can you. All parts needed to put this sh*t together are included in every box." I received the biodegradable cardboard box in the mail with a few parts and very simple instructions and went to work on the install. I looked in the box like, “This is all I need?” It took me under ten minutes to turn off the water for my toilet, disconnect the piping, and install the Tushy. Just like that, I had a functioning bidet attachment.

Upon first use, you may be a little afraid of the stream of water blasting under you, but after a few tries you get used to it - so much so, in fact, that I attempt to reach for the bidet nozzle when I am using public restrooms. The Tushy Classic uses cool water that is the perfect, refreshing temperature for a quick clean up. The Tushy Spa offers different temperature and pressure options. It’s not only great for your butt, but your lady parts as well.

For me – feeling clean is extremely important. With a J-pouch I go to the bathroom upwards of 25 times a day and as you can imagine wiping that many times a day can create some irritation. Now add a continuously draining fistula to the mix and you can find me soaking my butt in the bathtub more often than I’d like to admit. With the Tushy Spa, I no longer need to seek solace in my tub to find relief.I have also cut my toilet paper usage in half. So if you’d like to upgrade your butt and your life – get over to hellotushy.com!

Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Alicia puts a little bit of “brotherly love” into everything she does.

She is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University where she studied Television, Radio, & Film. She now works as a freelance editor, producer, videographer, and photographer.

Alicia was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 14 and when she was re-diagnosed with Crohn's disease at 22, Girls With Guts was just starting out. Her passion for GWG was instantaneous as she had not had that kind of support before.

She has been on the board of Girls With Guts since 2013 starting out as Director of Multimedia, and recently became the new President. She’s always had a knack for bringing ideas to life and that is where her passion and Girls With Guts merged. If she’s not helping to coordinate the annual Girls With Guts retreat or furthering the overall vision, you can catch her raising awareness about her personal IBD journey whenever she can.